The Vespidian

Arc 9 Twilight

Chapter 13

“Good morning sunshine, the sun is bright and the morning is fine~” sung out the many flowers swaying around me.

I looked about at the colorful world. Sweeping meadows and flowers popping up out of the ground as far as could be seen. Fluffy cotton candy trees sprung up and butterflies and birds filled the air. Small furry animals like bunnies and squirrels were frolicking about. An upbeat music played in the background as this cartoonish place bristled with life. Everything from the trees and clouds down to the animals and flowered bobbed, gently to the sound. Everything was just so happy here.

… I feel like I know this place.

“Nyahn, nyahn? Why did you stop?” asked the cat face, peering at me from the side.

I took in the sight of the sensually curved girl with cat paws, tail, and an oversized head like a mascot. Ah, it was Neko-chan. All of her was smooth, wet, glossy and pink, save the eyes. She was just as animated as everything else in this fake world. Her paws gripped at my hand and the impossibly wide grin stretched off the sides of her face. Our eyes met. I felt faint, thoughts murky as the colorful swirls went round and round. Neko-chan started singing.

“Lala nya nyan nya.

I believe in a thing called love.

It just rains down from up above.

So take my hand and let’s make merry.

Don’t you be so weary.

Nothing in here is scary.

Just close your eyes and say goodbye

Nee-san I won’t let you cry.

Cause Neko-chan is here right by your side.

That is right, I will be your guide.

So take my hand and you will see

A colorful land of imagination

Filled to the brim with elation.

Nee-san this was meant to be.

Open up your heart and let me in

Close your eyes and let the fun begin.

Don’t you worry about a thing

Together with me, just sing.”

I struggled, but her hands held my face, forcing me to look in her eyes. The longer I looked the louder the voice got. I could see them, there were cats, even in her eyes! I, I couldn’t look away. My eyes followed the swirling kittens getting droopier and droopier as the voice got so powerful, silencing everything.

Nyan, nyan, na, na nya.

I realized my own hand was a colorful pink paw. My head swayed to the strange beat of meowing noises, overhead kittens rained from clouds and trailed rainbows. There was even a fat one that looked kinda like a poptart that had replaced the sun and trailed colors across the sky. Hand and hand, we started skipping again, whistling as our bobbled heads tilted to the side in time with one another. Everything felt so warm and calm. Around us, the flowers swayed and clapped humming along.

We merrily went along the road that went over hill, after hill. The scenery didn’t change at all. It repeated over and over, filled with lots of fluffy kitties and flowers and butterflies. It went on forever… until it didn’t. Before I had even realized it, we reached a strange place. I don’t know when it had happened, but the surroundings had darkened and none of the happy things had followed.

I slowed my pace, watching the glowing pink figure prance several steps ahead of me. Neko-chan turned, except there was something wrong with her. Black ichor leaked from her jagged smile and it streamed from her red eyes like tears. I pulled away, but her paws turned to claws and grasped. She pulled me closer as the sharp teeth started to sing in a distorted voice.

“Don’t you run

I’ve already won.

You can’t escape

Just give up now and accept your fate.

I love you so

Even if you’re a little slow.

So just let me in

I will wear your skin.

Hide within.

I love you so

Much agony we will sow.

Oh, how the blood will spurt

I promise it won’t hurt

So close your eyes.

Say your goodbyes.

Don’t you put up a fuss.

Cause you’re one of us.

Together at last.

It will be a blast.

Twilight is here.

So never fear.

Take my-”

“Shove a dick in it, you slut bag!” yelled a voice.

Something smashed into Twilight, knocking her back and I flopped away disoriented. The darkness was bubbling all around us as the many eyes congealed into Sub. I blinked blankly as the pink goop that had been covering me sloughed off and with it my thoughts became clear.

“Tch! You! I almost had her.”

“Fuck off, she is mine. Nobody is fucking that brain, but me!”

Twilight had abandoned her Neko-chan disguise and her breasts bounced as she puffed out her chest with pride. It was one of those evil Magical Girl outfits that was skin tight and showed off her body. It was purple and black and cut in around the boobies so that they were barely covering the nipples. Something tells me she has a nice ass too… wait a minute now isn’t the time for that!

“You think you could possibly beat me?

I am the one who holds the key!

Bow down lowly swine

On your soul, I shall dine.”

Sub looked at me, “This bitch sure does like to rhyme.”

“She does… she is a weirdo. Maybe we could use that against her?”

“But, how?”

Ah I know. Gotta use a paradox! I pointed at her, “I bet you can’t even rhyme a word with orange!”

Twilight looked offended, blustering and fuming angrily at us, “Of course I can! This all a part of my master plan!”

“I didn’t hear no orange in there you slore. What, are you too dumb to rhyme now?!” mocked Sub.

Twilight ground her teeth while looking at her hands and counting off on them, “Orange… orange eh… st, storange! Ha!”

“That is not a real word!” we shouted her down.

She held her head, pulling her hair “It is too!”

“What does it mean then?!”

“Why should I know? I mean, uh… to, to store oranges ha!”

She was completely distracted, trying to come up a real reason. I winked at Sub and we attacked from both sides. This bitch was getting double teamed. One in the front and one in the back we got her locked up like a Chinese finger trap… Oh god it is contagious! Make it stop, make the rhyming stop!

Sub came from behind, and I from the front. I didn’t have anywhere else to grab and so I grappled her sizable mounds. Her face twisted with pain for a moment until she started breathing heavily. Crimson fiercely dyed her cheeks as she blushed from our attack. Wait a minute… when did this get so sexual? Hey, hey, what is with those tentacles? Sub, PG 13, ok R, R keep it R, I said R, not AO! Stop lewding the enemy!

“But I thought Magical Girls were into this sort of thing? You know what they say about Mahou Shoujo and tentacles…” Sub shrugged with a, not my fault look on her face.

“That is not the point, it is still Sunshine!”

Twilight glowed, trembling with rage as she tightened her fists. She yelled, knocking us off of her, “I am not Sunshine! Don’t, don’t compare me to that fool, I am far more divine! Enough of you disgusting insects! You will pay for not showing me the proper respects!”

“See!” shouted Sub, “If you had just let me put my dick in there we wouldn’t be having this problem!”

“Why you gotta put your dick in everything?! What is it, a skeleton key to all of life’s problems?” I waved at her indignantly.

“If it fits, it ships!”

“This is why we can’t have nice things Sub!”

“Stop ignoring me! You pesky flea!” Twilight screamed, throwing a tantrum.

“Shut the fuck up slut!” We yelled at her and went back to squabbling.

Twilight was wordless for a bit, opening and closing her mouth in disbelief. She gave up and sat in the corner swirling her finger on the ground, crying, while me and Sub kept bickering.

“It is always the dick with you!” I growled at Sub.

“It is always, oh, be gentle, be gentle. I want it rough and wild! Just shut up and take it like the whore you are! I know you like it!” she snarled back, getting in my face.

I slapped her and she slapped me back. Mmmhmm, hit me harder… I mean, uh, stop that. I am not entirely sure how it happened, but I may or may not have kissed Sub. This escalated into some groping, and Frenching, and some things that children should definitely not be watching.

Twilight held her face, screaming as she ran in circles, “What is wrong with you people!? You, you are evil!”

Sub wasn’t having it, shooing her away with her hand like some pest. “Hey, I am busy here, get lost you emo reject. Can’t you see I am getting laid here?”

I put a finger up, holding Sub off for a moment… wait a minute. I stared at Twilight. She was blushing fiercely, stammering, and even unable to look at us. It couldn’t be. She was being overly shy about this. I mean, I thought she was supposed to be all depraved and shit? Wait, could it be that me and Sub are just that much more perverted? Well, yes, but no. This is kiddie stuff.

“What are you acting like a virgin for? I thought you were hardcore? I thought you made all those Space Slores? Why the fuck do you look like such a piece of meat if you aren’t into that?” I asked.

She waved it off, puffing up a little, “S-S-Sunshine is the pervert! That was all her!”

OH? Me and Sub looked at one another and a wolfish grin spread on both our faces. “Oh really now? Don’t worry, Twilight we will be gentle at first.”

“No, no stay back!” she fell on her ass crawling away from us.

“Fufu, you look so tasty Twilight,” I licked my lips.

“We will be sure to gobble you all up.”

“I hope you like tentacles~”

“NOooOOo!” She wailed as we closed in on her with wiggling fingers. I was seriously jelly of this bitch’s boobies though. I want big anime titties too!

Right as we touched her, the world shook. She screamed so hard it felt like our heads might explode. We reeled away as cracks formed everywhere. Twilight shook violently and she started to break apart. A surging, pulling sensation like a whirlpool sucking the world itself in. She suddenly shrunk into nothing creating a hole in which all the black abyss around us flowed. More and more poured into it until there was only white. With a pop, it exploded and everything went black.

~~~

The abyss cleared after a brief moment as though a curtain had been torn away. I stared up at the somewhat clouded sky above, morning rays of sunlight gently illuminating them. My hands dug into the soil as I gasped for breath. All my senses assailing me with too much information. The array of the suit flickered distorting my vision. Vaguely, I could hear a screaming, a wailing of utter agony. I could smell fresh blood, it was close. My eyes moved about. I lay at the center of a crater. I couldn’t understand it at first, seeing the concrete shaved as though cut by the finest of blades. People lay strewn about disoriented and throwing up, crying and sniffling nearby. There were a lot of them, like thousands.

I shook off the buzzing in my head and looked to who was screaming so loudly, it was Sunshine. She was so close to me, mere feet away… or rather only most of her was there. She cradled her charred side as red poured out of where her arm and a good chunk of her chest should be. I could see the rib cage cracked open on the verge of spilling out her organs.

“Ne-Nee-san,” she wheezed, “It hurts, it hurts! Nee-san, Sun, Sunshine hurts! Make it stop!”

Shakily, I stood and took a step towards her. Her wound was terrible once I got closer to see. I, I had to do something about it. Remember your training… What training?! This wasn’t covered in class! Oh god, oh fuck! There is so much blood. Damn it, damn it! I tore at her ripped skirt and stuffed it into the gaping wound to help stop the bleeding. Hang on, hang on! I just, I just need to find Xava, she will fix this. She will save Sunshine, she is good at putting people back together.

There was a strange sound that filled the air, a grotesque moaning noise of metal scraping. I turned around to find a giant robo scorpion jarringly stepping towards us. Not sure what the hell that thing was, I got between it and Sunshine. I don’t think it would be good to move her right now. The ground trembled and I looked the other way, my eyes went up the front side of a massive mech that slowly stood up. It looked like one of Chief’s suits. It had huge cannons on the shoulders and a huge tank on the back. That thing was pretty fucking awesome looking. Oh fuck me, don’t tell me I have to fight these two? I am going to get squished like a fucking bug.

Neither of them seemed to be aggressive. Chief stopped several of that giant’s steps away. The cockpit opened, he stood looking down, “You alright?”

“Yeah! Sunshine is hurt though!”

I jumped at the sounds of the many legs of the scorpion moving. It took several more unsteady steps before toppling over. After a moment the front section cracked open. The pilot smacked it a few times as it got stuck before finally kicking the hatch off.

It was Xava in her battle suit. The extra arms moved about on her back as she stepped closer. I frantically waved to her, “Sunshine needs help!”

Her mouth visibly twitched, “Ah, she lived, how… fortunate. The psychokinetic material must have dampened the blast. I underestimated it.”

“What, what blast?” I asked.

“I had to disable her powers and the most effective way is pain. I detonated her cybernetic arm.”

Ah, she got disarmed.

Dammit Sub, this isn’t the time for jokes!

Here I was thinking we lewded her too hard.

We hardly even touched her.

“Is she going to ok?”

Xava took a moment, staring down at me and glancing at Sunshine, “I suppose she is too stressed out to be a threat at the moment. She is lucky, I was going to kill her if she was a problem.”

“Xava, don’t even joke about that stuff.”

“Who is joking? If she threatened your safety, I will kill her without hesitation.”

“She, she is not ok? Look she is hurt, so can you do something about it?”

“Calm yourself, this is hardly anything to be freaking out about,” said Neon Nurse, bending down to look Sunshine over.

She held her still with the extra arms so that she couldn’t struggle. One of the syringes on her back moved and traced the wound, spreading a foamy material that solidified rather quickly. Sunshine’s ragged breathing slowed as she lay there trembling in pain. Sweat dribbled down her face and I noticed the strange nub like things attached to her temples.

“You know what these things are?” I asked.

Neon Nurse gave it a glance, “Amplifiers, most likely. I believe that Nightmare was using them to augment Sunshine’s power which is how this happened in the first place. Speaking of which… where the fuck is that bitch? She needs to answer for her crimes.”

She was right, where was that slooty magician wannabe? I stood, looking over the masses of incapacitated people. She had to be here somewhere, right?

“My sensors are not picking up her signature, nor Captain Metal, nor Panther in the vicinity. They must have found a way to escape. Perhaps the Cyber Swat have found them? Ah, there they are… how did they already get that far? Hopefully, the Cyber Swat on site can hold them long enough-” Xava was interrupted by a bright flashing warning sound coming from her visor, she tapped it and looked up with a jerk, “Oh fuck!”

“What?” I gulped.

“Chief! We must evacuate this location immediately! Call off all rescue operations! We must reach a minimum safe distance of five kilometers within the next minute!” Shouted Xava.

“That is impossible! What the hell happened? No… Chimera didn’t.”

“Nightmare must have activated the Hammer Protocol. The satellite has already fired!”

“What the fuck is the Hammer Protocol?” I asked completely confused.

“Chimera has military satellites in orbit that can conduct Kinetic Bombardments. They use tungsten rods as projectiles. A single strike can level a city.”

“What the fuck is that shit?! How big are the fucking rods?”

“Last I saw, they were using ten meter long rods that they fired in a tightly packed spread consisting of up to twenty projectiles at a time. Although that is only for penetration of underground bunkers, they have also been known to use larger rods for wider surface impacts.”

“Come on Sunshine come on, we have to go,” I said, tugging on her.

She shook her head and looked directly at Xava, “Sunshine will stop the bad thing. Give Sunshine her happy candy.”

Neon Nurse hesitated for half a second before jabbing a needle into Sunshine. She shook as the painkiller flowed into her and her face visibly slackened. She sighed, “Sunshine feels better now.”

“Vesper, come we need to at least get somewhere safe in case she fails,” said Xava, tugging on my arm.

“Nee-san I love you,” smiled Sunshine giving me a one-armed hug, “Sunshine will protect this city, our home. Because that is what heroes do, right?”

I could feel myself tearing up. “You don’t have to do this.”

“Sunshine has done many bad things. For these terrible things, I must atone. Go, Nee-san, Sunshine might not be able to stop it.”

I gave her a final hug, “You can do it Sunshine, I believe in you.”

I ran, watching her as I went. How weak, I am, so powerless to stop something like this. She stared up into the sky and the weapon could just barely be seen. A flaming pillar of destruction streaking across the sky like a comet. It was still more than thirty seconds until impact. Xava had already started running as had Chief in his suit.

“What about all the civilians?!” I asked, getting alongside her.

“Leave them! We don’t have time. Shit, I assumed they wouldn’t use that since Nightmare would be at ground zero. I made a grave miscalculation. Vesper, run! Run as hard as you can, with your speed, you can make it out of the blast zone in just barely enough time or at least get out of the worst of it. But you have to go now!”

“I can’t leave you!”

“I am too slow, I will never make it!”

“I am not leaving you,” I said firmly.

“You… you idiot Vesper. We don’t have time now. Come on, if we can get deep enough into the sewer we might survive the blast if Sunshine fails!”

There was a section of concrete that was sheered open in the crater. I had noticed it before, but it really did lead into the sewer. Chief had reached it first and was herding the civilians underground for cover. He abandoned the mech so that it would block some of the blast from getting in. I looked back and saw that Sunshine had risen up off of the ground, glowing with wings spread behind her. Twilight-chan was on her left side and the Princess Sunshine was on her right. They tapped their magical staves together and a rainbow, black, and white colored beam shot up, converging into a single powerful surge of energy.

Things were happening too fast. It was all just a blur of motion and movement. Xava pulled me just as the attack collided with the object. Though I wanted to see it, it was safer to run while we could. We were not the only ones who had escaped into this dark place for refuge. There was a lot of people running and screaming like panicked beasts. Though Chief directed them down a side tunnel, many kept going too frenzied to follow instructions. He had managed to get a large group to listen and they flooded down the corridor. We were faster and caught up in only a matter of seconds.

“Ten.” Xava started counting down until impact.

We turned a corner down another side tunnel as did the many that had followed Chief this far to get better protection. Xava unfolded her shield, bracing with Chief and I behind her and the civilians were packed in behind us like animals. I unfolded my wings to get better protection for them. It was strange how everything seemed to be moving in slow motion. We, we’re going to survive this, right?

“I love you Xava.”

“I love you too Vesper. I won’t let you die.”

“Hold, if we can hold the blast we might live,” said Chief, spraying foam in an effort to seal off the corridor, even as more people tried to get through.

“Five.”

Why is it so slow? My thoughts surging and racing through my mind. I am a coward. Sunshine is out there all alone.

Hey now, she wouldn’t want you to die right?

‘No. I suppose not.’

I am here for you, so don’t worry.

‘Thanks, Sub.’ I smiled.

Give me a kiss.

‘I love you Sub.’

We mingled in my head, coiling around one another. If I am going to die, I am going to die having sex. I let Sub do whatever the hell she wanted, this might be the last time. I felt her press deep inside of me. I gasped, shuddering.

“One.” Vaguely resounded.

The ground shook. Rumbling, shaking and shuddering from the impact… Sunshine didn’t stop it. Though she had blunted it. Otherwise, we would have been vaporized. My only solace was that it would have been painless for her. Air rushed in front of the blast wave and fire. It shoved at Xava’s shield, the heated air slipped past us and the civilians screamed as they were cooked alive. I didn’t look back, I didn’t want to see that. This was, this was bad. Really bad. Xava’s suit buckled under the pressure, melting. She resolutely held the front even as her arms turned to liquid and then she fell, her body glowing red hot as it mushed into molten metal.

XAVA! Though I screamed, the voice never came out of my throat.

Xava had given her life to shield me, but it wasn’t enough. I didn’t see what happened to Chief, I was too busy covering my face. It hurt, it seared, it burned. This was so much worse than when Blaze Runner and even Nuclear Knight melted me. My arms warped first dribbling away as I defended my face. My suit hud shorted out as the force crumpled in the helmet, it dug into my head, cracking and breaking the carapace.

No… No! I don’t wanna die!

The kinetic force slammed me back against the wall and then the silence came.